


Around the Railing

by nosecrinkle



Category: Pierce the Veil
Genre: 90s Verse, Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 05:21:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1292890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nosecrinkle/pseuds/nosecrinkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU in which Jaime's got a crush on the school's badass.</p><p>Takes place in the 1990s.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> High School AU inspired by Deftones, grunge, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, flannels, the Sony Walkman from my childhood, and photos of Tony from his teens.
> 
> [An Around the Railing mixtape.](http://8tracks.com/nosecrinkle/around-the-railing)

”Mo-om! We need batteries!”

”I got you batteries last week!” She called up the stairs.

”I can't find them!”

Tony grumbled. The batteries in his walkman still had a bit of juice left, so he'd have to settle for that. Unfortunately he only had the new Deftones record on cd, not on cassette. He hadn't gotten around to putting it on cassette yet and made a mental note to do it this weekend.

He stuffed the walkman into one of the pockets on his hoodie, threw his backpack on and headed downstairs. He grabbed a poptart on his way out the door, but was yanked back by his hood. His mom kissed him on the cheek and told him to have a good day at school. She brushed the badly bleached bangs away from his face and smiled sweetly.

Tony huffed and shook his head like a dog, letting the hair fall back into his eyes. He pulled on his headphones and left the house. The cord from the headphones got caught on the door handle and he could hear his mom laugh over the sound of Nine Inch Nails. He kicked the door shut behind him and did the short walk to the bus stop, eating his poptart in big, crumbly bites.

Sometimes his mom let him have the car, but he snuck out to a show last weekend and wasn't allowed near the car until he showed some sign of remorse – so he was stuck taking the bus to school.

It wasn't all bad though. He didn't have to concentrate on the road, so he could lose himself in the music and not having to worry about hitting anything or accidentally swerving off the road.

The bus stop after his was a busy one. Tony wasn't much of a morning person and the bus was entirely too loud this early in the morning. There were three kids he despised more than the rest. They were clearly close friends and fought almost every morning, jostling the seats and the kids sitting toward the aisle. They usually sat in the seat behind Tony, so he didn't know what they looked like; not that he cared all that much. They looked hispanic like himself, but he couldn't pick them out of a line up if he had to.

Tony turned up the volume and closed his eyes. He felt it everytime they kicked his seat.

The brakes screeched when they reached the school and the kids poured out into the chill morning air. Tony pulled his hood up and dragged his ass out of the cracked vinyl seat. He was the last kid off the bus and shuffled to his locker. He kept his eyes downcast, making it clear that he was in no mood to talk.

Twisting the lock, he opened his dented locker and shifted his stuff around, so his backpack wasn't too heavy. He slammed the door and made his way to the restroom upstairs. It was the most unfrequented restroom, so he could sneak a smoke without getting caught. There was a ledge underneath the window he could sit on.

He dumped his backpack and used one of the sinks as a step. He crawled up there and pulled a crumpled packet of cigarettes out of his jeans along with his Zippo. The frame around the window had been painted so many times that it was hard to open. Tony put his weight into it and got it to open a bit. He pulled a cigarette from the pack and lit it, taking a deep drag and released the lungful of smoke on a sigh. He put the headphones down around his neck, so he could hear if anyone came close.

The smoke scratched lightly at his throat and he fought the urge to cough. He tapped his foot on the cracked tiles in time with the music.

The cigarette didn't last nearly as long as he would've liked it to, and he soon stubbed it out; and threw the butt out the window. He pulled the window closed and climbed down from the ledge. He picked up his backpack and made it to class with 30 seconds to spare.

-

”I don't understand why you like him.”

”Will you let it go already? Let Jaime have his little crush,” Vic hit his brother on the arm.

”I do not have a crush!” Jaime hissed.

Mike leaned over the sticky lunch table and trained his eyes on Jaime. ”Listen, buddy, I don't care that you have a crush. It's good – healthy, even – but why _him_?” Mike asked, brows furrowed. ”I've never seen that guy talk to anyone. He's _weird,_ okay?”

The three turned in their seats and looked across the room at an oblivious Tony.

His nose was stuck in a book and the ever present headphones covered his ears.The table seated four, but Tony spread out over the whole thing. His chair was pushed back and his knees were spread, effectively taking up the whole length of the table. One of his ratty sneaker clad feet was propped on the chair beside him, and the remaining two chairs were occupied by his hoodie and backpack.

Tony was dressed in a faded black t-shirt that had seen better days, with a plaid shirt over the top. Sure, grunge was all the rage, but Jaime has a feeling Tony wasn't making a fashion statement. He just didn't care at all. The torn knees on his jeans weren't from scissors, but from real wear and tear (if the bloodstains Tony sported from time to time were anything to go by).

As the first bell rang, the whole cafeteria rose as one. The sound of chairs across linoleum and kids groaning at the thought of going to class was deafening. Some were running to their lockers in the hopes of grabbing their books and making it back in time, others made hasty plans to meet up after school, while couples were exchanging their last few kisses.

Tony, however, kept sitting. He ran a finger down the page and quirked his brow at a passage before folding the page and putting the book away. Every movement was slow, yet confident. He would make his way to class – whether he made it on time or not didn't seem to bother him.

Vic had to pull on Jaime's elbow to get his attention and almost physically pull him with him to class. Jaime stumbled around the other students, trying to catch a last glimpse of Tony.

-

Tony breathed a sigh of relief as the last bell of the day rang, signaling his freedom. He put his arm on the desk and sweeped all his supplies into his backpack and left the classroom. He stopped by his locker on his way out to switch his books around. He was running low on smokes and pushed all the shit around to see if he might've stuffed an extra packet in there somewhere.

In the end he came up with an old packet with two cigarettes left. He stuffed the pack into his pocket and slammed the locker closed. He pulled on his headphones and started the walk home. He could've taken the bus, but he didn't have plans and he liked the solitary walk home. No peers, no teachers, no mom, no baby sister.

When he got outside, he pulled his hood up and turned up the music. As he walked past the kids waiting for the bus, he lit a smoke and nearly moaned on an exhale. A group of girls scowled at him, but he just winked and licked his lips.

As he passed the three hispanic guys, he caught one of them looking at him. He just smirked at the guy, put the cigarette between his pierced lips and kept walking.

-

”I think he's gonna faint,” Mike said and got ready to catch Jaime.

”Shut up, Mike, _oh my God,_ ” Jaime groaned and hid in his hands.

Vic nudged him in the side and waggled his eyebrows. ”He totally looked at you,” He teased.

Jaime whined and turned his back on the brothers, refusing to talk to them. He subtly watched Tony's back until he was out of sight. He caught another glimpse as the school bus drove past him.

He had a crush – so what? People get crushes all the time.

Regardless of the teasing, Jaime ended up in Vic and Mike's basement – as always. Their parents were pretty lenient and as long as they stayed in the basement, they could do whatever they wanted.

Vic turned on the stereo as soon as they got through the door, _Sublime_ pouring from the speakers. Vic was a straight A student and didn't waste any time. He got out his homework and got sucked in.

Mike had hit a growth spurt and snuggled up on the couch. He was asleep in a matter of minutes. Neither Mike nor Jaime were hard working students. They did what they could, but didn't mind getting bad grades.

Jaime picked up a tennis ball and started bouncing it off the wall.

-

Tony only went home to drop off his backpack and pick up his skateboard. There was a convenience store about 20 minutes from his house and he knew his mom wasn't gonna buy him those batteries.

Tony was used to walking everywhere and didn't mind making the trip. His mom had given up on grounding him a long time ago, so she looked for other ways to punish him. Car privileges was her latest stint.

Tony pushed himself forward, careful not to get the wheel caught in a hole in the cracked sidewalk. He still had blood on his jeans from the last time that happened.

Lucky for Tony, he knew the guy behind the counter and could stock up on smokes while getting the batteries. Both should last him a while.

-

Jaime swore under his breath. Why did _he_ always have to get the snacks? Jaime didn't know how he did it, but he was sure Vic was cheating. No one wins rock, paper, scissors every time they play. They just don't.

Jaime was on his way to the store on Vic's shitty bike. Vic rode the bus to school for this specific reason. The chain had come off more than once – but he still insisted that the bike was good enough for Jaime to make it to the store and back again.

Jaime got off the bike and leaned it up against the wall of the convenience store. He didn't have the key to the lock, so he just hoped no one would steal it. He went inside the store, but the tail of his flannel got caught in the door. He flailed and fumbled for a moment to get it loose, cursing under his breath.

He shuffled to the back of the store where the snacks were, inspecting his shirt tail for any rips. It was a pretty new shirt and his mom would get upset if he already ruined it. She wouldn't be surprised, but upset none the less.

Jaime counted the handful of crumpled bills he and the brothers had come up with and picked a couple of bags of chips. With the chips under his arms, he tried smoothing out the bills and headed for the register. His ear pricked up and he looked around, trying to found the source of the sound he was hearing. He walked back down the aisle he came from and rounded a shelf.

And there he was. Bouncing on his heels and nodding his head gently. The sound was muted against Tony's head, but Jaime would know that guitar riff anywhere.

Jaime gulped and checked his surroundings. He should say hi, right?

On shaky legs, he moved closer and gently tapped Tony on the shoulder.

Tony startled a bit and instinctively pulled his headphones off. ”What?” He said flatly. He must've recognized Jaime because his face softened the tiniest bit.

Jaime opened and closed his mouth a couple of times and gestured to his ears. ”Deftones. I, uhh … I love Deftones.”

Tony arched a brow, the soft look gone from his face. ”Did you follow me or something?”

”Pfft! Of course not!” Jaime said (and accidentally spat a bit). ”I should g-go,” He said and wiped the cuff of his flannel across his chin.

Jaime was gone before Tony had the time to reply. His confused ”what?” was said into the empty snack aisle, and the only sound present was the familiar, but tinny voice coming from his headphones.

-

”I am _never_ getting snacks again. _Ever,_ ” Jaime squeaked as he thundered down the basement stairs.

Vic narrowly dodge the bag of chips thrown at his head. ”Dude! What happened?”

” _What_ _happened_?” Jaime shrieked. ”Tony! Tony happened. He was at the store! And I talked to him and I said I like Deftones because I could hear it in his headphones – he was _definitely_ listening to Deftones – and I said I like them too and he _scowled_ at me and I'm never going back. _Ever_ ,” Jaime rambled, fingers tangled in the unruly curls on his head.

Mike – the asshole – spluttered and cackled, nearly falling off of the couch.

”Shut up, you lanky fuck!” Jaime cried, ears and cheeks bright red.

Mike only laughed harder and tumbled off the couch.

Vic tried to stifle a laugh, but was mostly unsuccessful. ”Aww, Himes, I'm sure it wasn't so bad!” He said softly and pulled Jaime into a comforting hug. ”It'll be okay. You'll take some time to recover and you'll try again.”

”No, I won't,” Jaime muttered into Vic's shoulder.

Vic shushed him and patted his curls, rocking them softly.

-

”You look like you're about to piss your pants,” Mike stated.

Jaime stuck his tongue out. He was a bit more jittery than normal, yes, but the bus was about to arrive and Tony would be on that bus. _Tony._

As the bus pulled up to the curb, Jaime saw Tony's hooded silhouette through the window.

If it wasn't for Mike, Jaime would've stayed on the sidewalk till the bus left. Mike dragged him onto the bus and down the aisle. Jaime was mildly outraged and tried to pry Mike's fingers away from his shirt. However there was no need to worry as Tony's eyes were shut. His forehead was against the grimey window and he looked like he might be asleep.

Jaime took a second to thank God for this turn of events and let himself be dragged to the back of the bus and pushed into his usual seat.

Vic was talking about an upcoming family dinner, but Jaime wasn't listening. He was busy staring at the back of Tony's head. He was still trying to come with something to say to him. He'd like for them to have an actual conversation. It was hard to come up with anything though. Especially because Tony had this knot at the back of his head and all Jaime could think about was how good Tony probably looked with bedhead.

-

Tony's morning went like every other morning. He shuffled out of the bus, went to his locker, went to the restroom on the second floor and went to class at the last second.

He sat at the back, like always. He alternated between doodling on the desk and looking out the window.

He zoned back in just in time to hear, ”... Perry and Preciado.”

Tony's head snapped up. What was happening? He glanced across the room at the Preciado kid. He was looking right back with wide eyes and looked like he was about to choke.

A pile of assignments made its way around the room and the last one ended up on Tony's desk.

A history research paper.

And he was paired with Preciado.

The teacher went over the details of the assignment and let the class out early, so the students could discuss the assignment with their new partners.

The Preciado kid approached Tony's desk and stood there awkwardly for a bit. ”You, uhh... We could go to my house after school, if you want?”

Tony looked at him silently for a moment. Color rose to Preciado's ears and Tony simply said, “okay.” He packed up his things and stood up. ”I'll meet you out front later.” Preciado looked like he was gonna say something, but Tony didn't stick around long enough to hear it and he didn't stop him.

Tony went to his locker to get his book for the next class. When the bell rang, he slumped against the lockers and closed his eyes tightly. He only had one lesson left. English. He brushed the hair away from his eyes and cursed himself for agreeing to meet that kid after school.

The hallway was empty, so Tony snuck off to the restroom and climbed up onto the windowsill again. If it wasn't for the research paper, he would've gone home, but he wasn't one to go back on his word. He hadn't made a promise or anything, but he still felt the need to stay.

He lit a cigarette and leaned against the window. All the tiles within reach from his current position was covered in doodles and lyrics – most of them were courtesy of Tony and his sharpie.

The windowpane was frosted, but Tony could still look out through the cracked window. The janitor was raking leaves behind the school. Tony watched the man for a while, humming along to the music in his headphones.

Watching the janitor got boring, so he climbed down from the windowsill and leaned over the sink. The mirrors were all dirty and cracked, but he could still make out his face. It wasn't a very interesting face in Tony's opinion. His bangs covered most of his face. They were badly bleached and his dark roots were almost an inch by now. He tilted his head to check on a bruise he'd gotten in a moshpit not too long ago. It was going green around the edges and was partially hidden under the collar of his shirt.

Tony knew most people took him for a fighter, but he wasn't. Well, if he had to, he would. He had a big scrape on his cheekbone from a tumble he took on his skateboard and his knuckles were permanently scabbed and bruised.

Tony turned his back to the sinks and crouched down, digging through his backpack. He pulled out a small switchblade and approached the stall doors. The blade was dull, but still sharp enough to carve patterns into the crumbling plywood.

Time tends to fly when you're destroying things. Tony checked his watch. It was an old scratched up silver watch. His dad gave it to him before he bailed. He saw the bell was about to ring and stuffed the switchblade back into his backpack.

He decided to wait outside and sat on the front steps. He leaned back on his elbows, letting the sun soak into his clothes.

The bell rang the steps were soon flooded with kids. Tony looked around lazily. Spotting Preciado wasn't hard. He looked like a squirrel on acid. He was having a very animated conversation with his long haired friend.

Preciado looked around in what seemed to be a panic, until he spotted Tony.

Tony raised his hand slowly and waved halfheartedly in greeting.

Preciado made his way over, bumping into people left and right. Tony got up lazily and shouldered his backpack. He pushed the headphones down around his neck and waited for the jittery mess to approach him.

”Hi!”

”Hey. What was your name again?” Tony asked.

”Jaime,” The kid frowned.

” _Right._ We gotta catch the bus, right?”

”Oh! Uhh... Yes. Yes, we should do that,” Jaime muttered.

Tony headed for the bus lot, Jaime in tow.

Jaime felt a lot like a lost puppy as he followed Tony onto the bus. Tony sat in his usual seat and Jaime hesitated, but sat down next to Tony, careful not to sit too close.

-

Jaime's house was odd. Not in an obvious sort of way, but it had all these weird angles. It looked like the kind of house an architect would build for themselves.

Jaime and Tony were the first ones to come home, so they headed upstairs to Jaime's bedroom right away.

The room matched the outside of the house and was a bit odd. Tony couldn't quite put his finger on why. The room had a huge window with a big windowsill. Big enough to sit on.

Jaime's bed was partially in front of the window and it was obvious used the windowsill as a nightstand. There was an alarm clock pushed into the corner and a little stack of paperbacks. There was a pair of glasses on top of the books. The grease on the lenses stood out in the bright sunlight. The walls were plastered with posters and magazine clippings. The thing that caught Tony's eye the most was the electric bass standing by the closet. It was well worn. The deep green paint was chipping and completely worn off in certain places. The cord to the amp was wrapped in duct tape here and there.

Tony dropped his bag on the floor and crawled onto Jaime's bed, spreading his arms and legs like a starfish. He canted his hips until his spine cracked and he settled down.

Jaime had to avert his eyes as the black t-shirt crept up Tony's stomach, revealing the most enticing happy trail Jaime had ever seen. He pulled his history things out of his bag and got settled against the side of the mattress. He read through the assignment quietly. He'd read it more than once already, but he still didn't know what to say to Tony.

Tony's leg bumped against Jaime's shoulder as he sat up and looked around. His eyes fell on a stereo and he quickly moved over to it. Resting on top was a stack of cd's and cassettes. “Huh.”

”What?” Jaime asked quietly. Tony was blocking his view, so he couldn't tell what he was doing.

”I thought you were more of a pop music kind of guy,” Tony pondered.

Jaime scratched his neck. ”I told you I like Deftones.”

”Thought that was a one off thing,” Tony said and glanced over his shoulder. He popped in _The_ _Colour_ _and_ _the_ _Shape_ and pressed play. He crawled over to Jaime and pulled the assignment packet out of his hands. He layed down on the carpet next to Jaime and skimmed over the text while humming lowly.

Jaime watched him quietly. Spreading your legs like that should be illegal. Jaime was very disappointed in himself. Was it normal to be attracted to someone's knees? Because Jaime was pretty sure he was. The way Tony's bony knees showed through the torn denim of his jeans was almost mouth watering.

”Alright. How'd you wanna do this?” Tony asked, looking at him.

His eyes were _so_ brown and _so_ deep. Jaime rubbed his eyes and explained what he'd been thinking would be the smartest way to do the project. Tony just shrugged and agreed to Jaime's proposition.

The boys spent a while reading their books and taking notes. Jaime kept checking the assignment to makes sure he didn't read the questions wrong.

”Jaimito, did you– oh!” Jaime's mom stopped in the doorway. “Hello.”

Jaime smiled softly. ”Hi, mom. This is Tony. We're doing an assignment for history. I told him we could do it here,” He said politely.

Jaime's mom smiled brightly. ”Of course you can do it here! Hello, Tony. It's nice to meet you. I'm Maria,” She said and leaned down to shake his hand.

Tony sat up and shook her hand. ”Hi.”

”Did I do what, mom?” Jaime asked.

”Oh, no, sweetie. Don't worry about it, we'll talk later,” She smiled and closed the door behind her.

After a few minutes of silence, Tony stated, ”She seems nice.”

”Yeah. She is,” Jaime smiled a little.

-

Jaime asked if Tony would like to stay for dinner, but he declined.

Tony made his way home. They didn't live far apart, but it was still a good long walk home. When he got through the door at home, his mom yelled from the living room and told him she'd saved a plate for him. It was in the fridge.

Tony popped the plate in the microwave for a bit and took the food upstairs. He turned on his stereo and ate slowly. He didn't eat the whole thing – he rarely did. He slid the plate onto the nightstand and opened the window. He crawled out onto the roof and sat against the wall. It was still light out. He fished his cigarette pack out of his pocket and lit one.

He pulled the hoodie tighter around his shoulders and exhaled. Having Jaime as a partner was not the worst thing that could've happened today. Jaime actually seemed mildly interested in the assignment and probably wouldn't leave Tony hanging.

There was a knock at his window and he turned his head.

”Hey, kiddo.”

”Hi, mom,” Tony offered the cigarette to his mother.

She took it and smiled softly. She sat down on the windowsill. ”Where were you today?”

”We got this group project in history,” Tony said and took the cigarette when his mom handed it back to him. “The guy they paired me with lives a couple of streets over.”

”Someone I know?”

”Don't think so. Jaime Preciado?”

She shook her head. ”Doesn't ring a bell.”

”It's a two week thing. We'll probably work some here too.”

”Alright,” She said and ruffled Tony's hair.

Tony swatted her hand away and laughed. ” _Mo-om_ ,” He whined.

”Don't stay up too late, okay? Love you.”

”Love you too, mom.”

-

Tony and Jaime spent a couple of hours every afternoon at Jaime's house, working on the assignment. On the days they were home alone, Tony would open the window and sit in the windowsill. Jaime was a bit concerned that he wouldn't be able to get rid of the smell of smoke. But not concerned enough to tell him to stop.

Tony looked so incredibly hot sitting there with a book in his lap and a smoke between his soft, plump looking lips. When the sun hit his dark hair, it brought out all these different shades of almost golden brown and his lashes cast these thin, delicate shadows on his cheeks.

”What are you doing?”

”Hm?”

Tony pointed at Jaime's lap. ”That notebook – you're always doodling. Lemme see,” He said and reached for it.

”What? No!” Jaime hugged the notebook to his chest.

”It's obviously not homework! Hand it over.”

Jaime shook his head violently, blushing profusely. Now Tony _really_ wanted to see it. He gave it a few seconds, then he knocked Jaime over, snatching the notebook from his hands and held it triumphantly above his head.

”Please, don't look at it!” Jaime begged.

Tony flipped through the pages. They were sketches. Some were merely doodles, others were insanely detailed drawings. The latest page was a portrait of him, sitting in the windowsill. ”Huh.”

”Kill me. Kill me now,” Jaime muttered from behind his hands.

Tony chuckled and flipped through the more recent ones. There were a couple of sketches of him. Tony smiled a little. It was flattering, really.

He looked around at the walls of Jaime's bedroom. There were a lot of sketches tacked to the wall. He hadn't realized before, but they were most likely Jaime's creations. ”They're not bad,” Tony said and held the notebook out for Jaime.

Jaime peeked between his fingers. ”No?”

”No,” Tony chuckled.

-

“Dude, you're bumming me out. Stop moping.”

”I'm not moping,” Jaime muttered miserably.

”You so are!” Mike said. ”You'll see him again on Monday. It's two days!”

Vic glared at his brother pointedly. Jaime hadn't touched his lunch yet. Vic nudged him with his foot under the table. ”You coming over? We can have a sleepover,” He suggested.

”What else would I be doing? It's not like I have a life or anything,” Jaime groaned.

Vic pointed an accusing finger at his brother. “One word out of your mouth and I swear to God.”

Mike put his hands up in surrender.

-

Jaime was pretty sure he saw Tony skate by on Saturday, but he tripped over a pile of laundry before he made it to the window, so it could've been someone else.

The material they had agreed on reading up on over the weekend was already done. Jaime finished it Friday night, while Mike and Vic saw _Evil_ _Dead._ Jaime hated scary movies, so he put on some headphones and did his homework instead.

Sunday morning was Hell. His mom stopped by his room a couple of times, but Jaime hadn't left his bed yet, so she just shook her head and let him be.

A few streets over, Tony was was coming home. He had spent the weekend in the city. He did that sometimes. He had some friends he stayed with when he couldn't get home. The buses didn't drive out here at night – even when they did, he still had a 20 minute walk to his house.

Tony had brought his skateboard, so it didn't take as long as it normally would. He was slightly unsteady on his feet. He was _very_ hungover and just wanted to sleep for a week or so.

He dug out his keys and let himself in. The house was empty. His mom wasn't home much. He kicked off his shoes and went upstairs. He dumped his board and backpack on the floor, before pulling off his clothes.

He turned on his stereo and climbed into bed, wrapping the worn sheets around his body like a cocoon. The sunlight streaming in through the window didn't bother him.

Both boys spent the day in a similar fashion. They crossed each other's minds in their semi-conscious state.

Where Jaime dreamt of lips and loving touches; Tony dreamt of fingers dancing over strings with practiced ease.

-

Jaime stood quietly on the sidewalk, as the bus pulled up and was the last to climb up the steps. He pulled his beanie a bit further down. His hair didn't want to cooperate this morning.

He stood by Tony's seat for a few seconds. Jaime wanted to be all cool and ask how his weekend was. Maybe sit on the seat beside Tony. Tony would have to be awake for that thought. Jaime was disappointed, but he didn't want to wake him. Maybe he didn't sleep well.

Jaime shuffled further down and slid into the spot beside Vic. Vic bumped his shoulder and smiled softly. ”It's crazy he can sleep when the music is so loud.”

Jaime's lips twitched fondly. He easily recognized the guitar. It was the same song he was listening to that day at the convenience store (it was Jaime's new favorite).

Mike hadn't done his homework and begged Jaime for his, asking if he could copy it. Jaime had by no means done his best, but Mike didn't appear to mind and hastily copied Jaime's answers.

When the bus reached the school, Mike pulled a very reluctant Jaime away from Tony, who was looking around the bus, all sleepy (and adorable).

-

”We could go to my place.” It was more a statement than a question.

”Your parents won't mind?”

”It's just my mom. She won't be home for a couple of hours,” Tony said.

Jaime smiled. “Okay.” He was actually dying to see Tony's house; see his room. The bus made a sharp turn and Jaime's shoulder bumped against Tony's. He was having a hard time containing his excitement. He didn't know where Tony lived. Tony was already on the bus when it reached Jaime's stop.

”This is it,” Tony said suddenly.

“Oh!” Jaime stumbled after Tony and out of the bus. Tony walked backwards a few steps, giving Jaime time to catch up.

When they came to Tony's house, Jaime was sort of surprised. Tony's house looked … _normal._ He didn't know what he was expecting. But this wasn't it.

He followed Tony inside. The place was a little worn around the edges, but it was really cozy. They headed upstairs and down the hall. Tony pushed open the door to his room and dumped his bag by the bed.

Jaime stood right inside the threshold, looking around. Now _this_ – this was exactly what Jaime had in mind. The walls of the room were plaid and the sheets on the bed were a forest green color. The bed itself was low to the ground and pushed into a corner.

This made more sense to Jaime. And it fit his mental image of Tony a lot better. The switchblade on the nightstand, the guitar in front of the window, the massive stereo, the overflowing closet and cd's and tapes scattered on every available surface – this was Tony.

Something Jaime did not expect, was the piles upon piles of paperbacks and leather bound notebooks.

”You gonna stand there all day?” Tony asked, smoke curling out from between his lips.

Jaime blushed and gingerly sat on the foot of Tony's bed. Tony laughed and it was the most wonderful sound Jaime had ever heard.

Tony sat against the wall beneath the window, arms resting on his knees. Jaime held his books in his lap, listening to the sound of Tony breathe.

The room smelled just like him. Must have been a mix of his deodorant, laundry detergent, and a hint of smoke. Jaime was resisting the urge to roll around in the sheets like a cat. He didn't quite understand it, but he really wanted to rub Tony all over himself.

Tony put his cigarette out and pulled his bag into his lap. He started going through his notes and checking the assignment sheet. ”You think we'll be done in time?”

Jaime nodded. ”I think we'll manage.” Jaime was already mostly done with his part. He spent most of their study sessions staring at Tony and doodling. He wasn't planning on telling him that though. Jaime was sure Tony was gonna call him a dork and force him to do to his part of the assignment as well.

Unbeknownst to Jaime, Tony was in a similar situation. He had finished his part a while ago. He'd decided not to tell Jaime. Jaime probably wouldn't believe him.

-

One day at lunch, Jaime pulled on Mike's sleeve before they sat down.

“What?”

“We should sit with Tony,” Jaime whispered.

Mike frowned. “No. Why would we do that? He's not _my_ crush.”

“He's actually really cool,” Jaime pouted.

Mike snorted. “Are you kidding? I've heard he's been arrested, like, fifty times.”

Vic rolled his eyes and went ahead of them to Tony's table. “You've been arrested twice, Michael,” He called after them.

Jaime smiled gratefully and hurried after Vic.

As per usual, Tony was hunched over a paperback and not noticing a thing that was happening around him. Jaime knocked on the table top to get his attention. “Hi,” He said. It came out a lot more quiet than he meant to.

Ungraceful as ever, Mike pulled out a chair and sat down, not waiting around for permission. Tony looked at them in surprise, but didn't protest.

“Tony, this is Vic,” He said and pointed to Vic, who was still standing. “That one is Mike,” He added and nodded toward Mike, who gave a short smile through a mouthful of food.

”'Sup,” Tony said shortly, pulling his backpack out of Mike's range, not wanting food spat all over it.

Jaime pulled out the chair next to Tony and was already regretting introducing him to Mike. After Jaime got settled, Tony folded the corner of the page he was reading and winked at Jaime. Jaime choked on his soda.

Vic patted him on the back while Tony put the book away.

”What'd you do to your hands?” Vic asked, eyeing his knuckles.

Tony turned his hand over. ”Don't know. The weekend was kind of a blur, y'know?” He palms were scraped to hell and his knuckles were bruised. He had no recollection of how it had happened. He had to wear his belt a little loose as well, because of a bruised hip.

“You okay?” Jaime asked worriedly, frowning.

”I've had worse. It's fine,” Tony reassured him, nudging his shoulder.

Vic looked between the two of them curiously.

Before the lunch period was over, Jaime excused himself. He had to pick up a few things from his locker before his next class. He wiggled his eyebrows threateningly in Mike's direction before leaving, getting a dramatic eyeroll in return.

His face collided with the the closed locker door right after he closed it. The metal hinges rattled and he saw sparks behind his eyelids. He turned around while holding his forehead to see who pushed him.

One of the seniors was standing in front of him grinning from ear to ear, bouncing on his heels. Jaime was about to ask him what the fuck his problem was, but he was punched in the stomach before he got the chance. His kneels buckled, his bag slipping from his hand.

-

Jaime had left his beanie at the lunch table and Tony asked where his locker was. Vic pointed him in the right direction and Tony took off.

As he rounded the row of lockers, he saw one of the seniors standing over a whimpering Jaime.

Tony threw his bag and ran shoulder first into the guy's gut, knocking him to the ground. Jaime made a surprised sound and scurried backwards into the lockers.

Tony straddled the guy's chest, punching him in the face, while he was too stunned to fight back. The guy was a lot bigger than Tony, and on the football team if Tony remembered correctly.

Tony didn't have the upper hand long and his head hit the linoleum. Tony didn't fight fair by any means. They were fairly equal for a while, all fists, knees and elbows.

Jaime heard an ominous crunch and prayed to God that it wasn't Tony's nose.

They weren't exactly quiet and the noise drew a teacher from his class room. Two teachers manhandled the senior off of Tony and he crawled over to Jaime.

“You okay?” He asked softly and brushed the hair out of Jaime's face. He gently touched Jaime's sweeling cheek with his fingertips.

”You're bleeding,” Jaime whispered.

Tony wiped the sleeve of his flannel across his face, but didn't move to do anything else. Jaime felt his eyes prickle and he knew he was about to cry. Tony gently pulled him to his chest and held him close. ”You're okay,” He whispered into his hair. ”You're okay.”

-

Jaime was taken to the nurse, Tony was taken to the principal.

The nurse was an older lady who kept calling Jaime “sweetheart”. She gave him ice for his face and let him rest in her office. Jaime had never been in a fight before and his heart was still beating double time.

What felt like hours later, Tony showed up. He looked worse than the last time Jaime had seen him. He'd gotten a bloody nose in the fight and blood had dripped down his chin and soaked into the front of his shirt. It looked like he might have a black eye tomorrow.

Tony wanted to see Jaime first and was very vocal about it, but the nurse was stern and got Tony into a chair so she could get the blood off of his face. She made him take his overshirt off, leaving him in his t-shirt.

Jaime made a sound at the sight of Tony's skin. His arms and neck were littered with bruises. Most of them looked old, but a few of them had to be from the fight.

The nurse left to find Tony a shirt that wasn't caked with blood. Tony swiftly got out of his chair kneeled next to Jaime. ”How're you holdin' up?” He asked softly.

“'M okay. What about you?”

Tony gave him a toothy grin, which made Jaime flinch. His teeth were red. He must've taken a punch to the teeth at one point. “I'm okay.”

“Are you sure? You look terrible.”

” _Perry_!” The nurse was back and scolded Tony.

Tony patted Jaime on the leg and took the shirt the nurse handed to him. He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment.

The nurse checked up on Jaime while Tony was out of the room. ”Want me to call you mom, sweetheart?”

Jaime nodded a little. ”If you don't mind?”

”Not at all,” She smiled sweetly.

Tony came back with a sour look on his face. ”This thing smells like ass,” He grumbled and held the fabric away from his chest.

The nurse put her hands on her hips. ”Put your shirt on and get back to class.”

”Yes, ma'am,” He said and picked up the blood stained flannel. He gave Jaime a little wave before heading out.

”Tony, wait!”

Tony popped his head back in. ”What?”

”Are we gonna study today?” Jaime asked.

Tony smiled. ”I got a detention. We'll catch up tomorrow,” He winked.

-

On the bus the next morning, Tony put his bag between his feet, making room for Jaime to sit.

At Jaime's stop, Tony waited for him to walk down the aisle and looped an arm around Jaime's waist as he got within reach. “There's my little badass!” Tony grinned and put his arm around Jaime's shoulders.

”Shut up,” Jaime giggled.

Tony's eye was so swollen, he could barely open it. Jaime had a black eye as well, but it was nowhere near as bad as Tony's.

“Look, we match,” Tony laughed and gestured at their eyes. He pulled the headphones from around his neck and put them over Jaime's ears.

”Smashing Pumpkins?” Jaime asked with a quirked brow.

”You told me you like them,” Tony smiled.

He did say that; but that was the very first time they hung out. How did Tony even remember that?

After they got off the bus, Jaime handed the walkman back. ”Hey, Tone?”

Tony stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”

”Where do you go in the morning? You always run off.”

Tony looked at him for a moment, then smiled. ”Come on. I'll show you.”

Tony took him to the restroom on the second floor.

”This is where you go?”

“Yep,” Tony said, foot already in the sink. He crawled up onto the ledge and lit a cigarette.

”Oh,” Jaime said. “you go here to smoke. That makes sense.” He looked around at the destroyed bathroom. ”I thought this was out of order.”

Tony shrugged. ”I suppose it is. I mean, the water still works and the toilets flush just fine. Most people just like having a door, I guess.”

Two of the three stalls were missing the doors. Jaime leaned against the sinks. He laughed at the words etched everywhere. ”I suppose you did most of this?” Jaime pointed at some of the _Deftones_ lyrics.

“Of course I did,” Tony smiled and bit his lip. His teeth got caught on his split lip, reopening the wound. “Shit,” He muttered and cupped his hand under his chin, attempting to keep the blood away from his clothes.

”Let me help you,” Jaime said. He helped Tony down and managed to find a papertowel. He ran it under the faucet and held it against Tony's lip.

“Thank you,” Tony said. He looked at Jaime's face and his furrowed brows. The bruising around Jaime's eye was sort of connected to the bruise on his cheek bone. ”You have freckles.”

”What?” Jaime looked up in confusion.

”You have freckles,” Tony said and pointed.

”I– yeah, I do,” Jaime blushed.

”It's cute.”

Jaime huffed. ”Shut up.”

-

Jaime's mom kept looking at him funny, so he asked Tony if they could go to his house after school instead. It didn't make much of a difference to Tony, so that's what they did.

Tony's mom was home when they got there, but it wasn't long before she came to Tony's room while fumbling with an earring. ”Tone, I need you to watch Becca.”

“Okay,” He said.

She nodded and left the room. ”Crack a window or something. It reeks in there,” She yelled on her way down the hall.

Jaime looked at him curiously. ”Who's Becca?”

”My sister,” Tony said.

Tony's mom came back a few minutes later. She put the little girl on the floor and told Tony to watch her.

The boys were sitting on the floor with their homework spread out on the carpet. Tony smiled and opened his arms wide. The little girl ran toward him and giggled as Tony hoisted her into his lap, arm curling around her middle.

Tony talked about the project, but Jaime wasn't listening. He was entirely focused on the toddler. ”How old is she?”

Tony stopped mid sentence. ”Huh? Becca? She's four.” He smiled softly. ”You have no idea what I just said, do you?”

Jaime looked at him apologetically.

Tony rolled his eyes. ”Becs, this is my friend Jaime. Jaime, this is Rebecca.”

The little girl giggled and hid her face in Tony's chest. They looked nothing alike. Becca didn't look hispanic at all. She was the most precious thing Jaime had ever seen, though. She had the same big, brown eyes as Tony, maybe a shade lighter.

Becca pouted. “I don't like this song!”

Tony rolled his eyes playfully. ” _Fine._ ” He scooted them closer to the stereo and pulled a cd out of a box. He popped it in and pushed a few buttons.

As the opening notes played, Jaime's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

” _I come home in the morning light–”_

”Oh my _God._ You have this song?”

Tony turned bright red and hid his face behind Becca. ”I, uhh … It's actually the whole album.”

Becca giggled and wriggled out of Tony's grasp. She stood up and begged Jaime to dance with her. “Hi-me!”

Jaime sighed loudly. How could he say no to that? He got to his feet and started dancing with Becca.

Tony laughed softly.

”You too! Come on!” Jaime said and took Tony's hand.

Tony fought it, but when Becca took his other hand, he couldn't resist anymore. He didn't move much at first, but when his sister stepped on his feet and grabbed his hands, he finally caved.

” _Oh, girls just want to have fu-un!_ ” They sang the chorus at the top of their lungs, to Becca's delight. The boys looked at each other with rosy cheeks.

”Alright, that's enough,” Tony laughed and turned the music down a little. He sat down again and Becca crawled back into his lap. Tony held the book in front of them, letting Becca look at the pictures while he took notes.

Homework is enough to make even toddlers drowsy. When Becca got heavy in his arms, he picked her up and tucked her into his bed, pulling the green sheets up around her ears.

After she fell asleep, Jaime couldn't help but ask. ”I thought you said your dad left years ago?”

”He did,” Tony said, eyes trained on the book in his lap.

”But Becca's only four?”

”My dad left a long time ago, Becca's dad left five years ago,” Tony stated, not taking his eyes off his book.

”Oh.”

”Yeah. Mom and I thought he was a great guy, but then mom got pregnant. Mom always wanted more kids – Becca's dad didn't. He told mom to get rid of it and when she didn't, he bailed. He's never met her.”

Jaime gaped. ”What a dick.”

Tony chuckled. ”Yeah. Who needs a dad anyway. We sure don't, do we Becs?”

Becca made a gurgling sound in her sleep.

Jaime smiled. Tony was amazing. He wanted to stay in Tony's messy room forever and just get lost in the smell of smoke and _Tony._

The project was due on Friday and Jaime was desperately trying to come up with a reason for them to hang out. He thought of everything, but he couldn't come up with a reason why amazing, beautiful Tony would want to hang out with _him._

-

It was the lunch period before the paper was due and Jaime felt like throwing up. Mike was still on the fence about Tony, so the brothers sat at their usual table, away from Tony and Jaime.

“You're not hungry?” Tony asked.

”Not really.” Jaime swallowed thickly.

”Is it the paper? We did great on that, Himes!”

”Yeah, I know. I'm just being stupid,” Jaime mumbled.

Tony thought for a moment. ”Wanna get some air before class?”

Jaime nodded. ”Y-yeah. Let's do that.”

Tony took him to the field they could see from the bathroom. Jaime sat in the dry grass and looked miserable.

”Let's bail after history. Hand in the paper and just _go._ ”

”My dad'll freak,” Jaime mumbled.

”Then lie. Tell him your face hurt,” Tony suggested. “On second thought, you don't get a say in this. We're leaving – after we hand in the paper.”

-

Jaime was panting and doing his best to keep up, but Tony was sprinting through the grass. Jaime had been the star of the soccer team back in middle school, but the laziness of high school and puberty caught up with him and he quit. He never ran anymore.

Tony reached the playground first. ”You're fucking slow, Preciado!” He yelled.

”Fuck you, Perry!” Jaime wheezed. He leaned on his knees for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He gave up and collapsed in the grass a good few feet from the playground. He could hear Tony cackle nearby.

Tony's happy face appeared above him, upside down. ”You doin' okay there, buddy?”

”Fuck you.”

Tony laughed happily and tumbled into the grass next to Jaime. They were lying opposite ways, so when Tony turned to look at Jaime, he was upside down. Their proximity made Tony go cross eyed and Jaime snorted out a laugh.

This was better than math. Way better.

-

They'd talked about hanging out over the weekend, so on Saturday, Jaime headed over to Tony's house. Jaime was still thanking the heavens that Tony brought it up.

He was greeted at the door by Tony's mom. ”Hello, Jaime. I think he's sleeping, but you can just wake him up. It's about time he got out of bed anyway.”

Jaime smiled at her and rubbed Becca's belly before heading upstairs.

He opened the door to Tony's room quietly. The stereo was playing and Tony was sprawled out on his stomach. Jaime trailed his eyes over the expanse of his naked back. The covers were rucked together around his waist.

”Tone?”

He emitted a growling sound.

”Time to wake up,” Jaime said, trying not to giggle.

Tony groaned and turned over. He opened one eye and glared at Jaime. He rubbed his face and pulled the covers back. ”Get in.”

“I'm sorry, what?”

”Get in,” Tony repeated and waved the blanket around.

”Uhh... okay.” Jaime toed off his shoes and laid down.

Tony threw the blanket over Jaime and pulled him closer, so they could share his pillow.

”What–“

”Shh,” Tony put his hand over Jaime's mouth. ”Sleepy time.”

Jaime had woken up a mere hour earlier, so going back to sleep wasn't a hardship.

When Jaime woke up again, his forehead was resting against Tony's. Tony's eyelids flickered like he was in the process of waking up.

”Tone?”

”Mm?”

”Ready to wake up now?”

Tony blinked sleepily. His eye was doing better and he could actually open it again. He pressed his lips to the tip of Jaime's nose. ”You and I are going to a show,” He said hoarsely.

”What?”

”Top drawer,” Tony smiled.

Jaime rolled over and pulled open the nightstand drawer. He had to dig through a mess of matches, lighters, pocket knives and condoms, but he found two tickets. _Smashing Pumpkins._ ”Are you serious?”

”No. I made fake tickets just to break your heart,” Tony chuckled and rolled his eyes.

-

The line for the show was insane. Jaime recognized a ton of people from school and from around town. The line shuffled forward at a snail's pace. Tony held onto Jaime's sleeve, so he wouldn't get lost in his excitement.

”This is gonna be so awesome,” Jaime said. ”I hope they play _Disarm._ I love that song. Or _Zero_!”

Tony smiled. He hoped they would play those too. Not because of the songs, but because it would make Jaime happy.

” _1979_ is good too,” Jaime kept mumbling the names of all the songs that he liked. His excitement only escalated as the entrance came into view.

The venue was buzzing and they nearly got seperated a couple of times. Tony was a veteran when it came to concerts and was quick to grab a hold of Jaime's wrist whenever he strayed. He held Jaime's hand tightly and guided him through the sea of people at the entrance and into the concert hall. Jaime couldn't hear anything over the excitement of the crowd.

Somehow Tony got them to the center stage barricade. He pushed Jaime in front of him and grabbed the barricade in his hands on either side of Jaime, shielding him from the other people at the front. ”This okay?” Tony shouted.

Jaime smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Tony was slightly taller than him, so Jaime wasn't blocking his view of the stage.

When the lights dimmed, the noise level rose even further. Tony stayed close to Jaime's back through the opening band's set. Jaime didn't know them but the put on a great show. He'd have to ask Tony who they were later.

When the lights came back on in between the sets, someone was shouting _Tony_ at the top of their lungs. They turned in unison and came face to face with an insane looking dude.

Tony cracked a smile and let go of Jaime to greet the giant. They hugged and talked for a few seconds, before Tony introduced them. ”Jaime, this is Austin.”

”Hey.” The guy was tall and lanky, tattoos covering his arms and he had _facial_ _hair._ He looked scary and Jaime had no desire to talk to him. He just nodded politely and stood a little closer to Tony.

”Austin and I always go to shows together,” Tony explained.

Fortunately, they didn't get to talk much more, as the stage was ready and people crowded toward the barricade.

Tony came up behind him, shielding him like before. But this time around, Austin was next to them. He didn't stay with them for long, as he got sucked into the mosh pit behind them.

Jaime's eyes strayed to the bass. He could play every single song, but hearing it played live by D'arcy herself, was a milion times better. Tony was shifting against him every few minutes, but he figured people were just pushing him.

All of a sudden, Tony left him and disappeared into the mosh pit. A girl pushed her way into the spot Tony vacated and Jaime instantly felt nervous. He held onto the barricade with clammy hands, hoping that Tony would come back soon.

It was getting harder to breathe and the air felt thick with moisture. Jaime let go of the railing and tried getting around the mosh pit and toward the back wall. When someone grabbed his arm, he screamed, but the sound drowned in the pounding music.

”Where're you going?” Jaime didn't hear the words as much as he read his lips. Austin's hair was dripping with sweat and the curls were sticking to his temples. His hold on Jaime's arm was surprisingly gentle.

”Air,” Jaime said repeatedly, until he was sure Austin understood him.

Austin nodded. Jaime was shocked when Austin took his hand and helped him out into the entrance hall.

”Is this better?” Austin said loudly, obviously semi-deaf because of the loud music.

Jaime gulped air and pushed up the sleeves of his flannel. He ran his hands through his progressively curlier hair and blinked the sweat out of his eyes. ”Better.”

”Jaime! Jaime!” Tony jogged toward him and threw his arms around Jaime's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. ”You okay? Why are you out here?” He asked and cupped Jaime's flushed face.

”You left and I... I freaked out a little. Needed some air.”

”I'm sorry. I thought you were gonna be okay,” Tony frowned.

Austin clapped Tony on the shoulder and headed back inside, confident that Tony had the situation under control.

”You want to leave?”

”No, no! It's okay. I wanna see the rest – but could we do it from the back? I'm a little claustrophobic,” Jaime said.

”Yes, of course!”

The sound at the back of the room was just fine. Sure, the band wasn't as easy to see, but it didn't matter all that much – not when Tony had his arm around his shoulders. Jaime had his arms linked around Tony's middle. He even played a little with the hem of his t-shirt, testing the boundaries a bit. Tony just squeezed his shoulder.

Jaime counted that as a victory.

-

Finding Jaime's mom's car in the dark was a lot harder than they thought it'd be. Turns out the street light they parked under was broken. Jaime wasn't surprised. Him and Lady Luck had never been friends.

”Want me to drive?” Tony asked as Jaime yawned for the third time.

”If you don't mind?” Jaime tossed the keys to Tony and got in the passenger seat. His mom had allowed him to take the car, as Tony was still banned from their car.

Jaime folded the shirt Tony had bought for him. He had protested wildly and refused to let Tony pay, but Tony is nothing if not stubborn. The show had worn him out and he dozed off on the way home.

When Tony roused him gently, the car wasn't moving. Jaime yawned and looked out the window. “Wait, this is my house?”

”I know. I'm gonna walk home.”

”What? No, let me drive you.”

”It's fine, Himes. Don't worry about it,” Tony smiled. He got out of the car and walked Jaime to the door.

Jaime was having all sorts of butterflies. When Tony hugged him tightly and kissed his hair, his knees went weak. If it wasn't for the fact that Tony was holding him, he would've fallen on his ass right then and there on his mom's porch.

”I'll see you on Monday,” Tony smiled, before heading home.

Jaime slumped against the front door, clutching the t-shirt to his chest.

He was so screwed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Tony was sleeping soundly, when a heavy weight settled on his lower back.

”Wakey, wakey!”

Tony groaned and wiggled, trying to look over his shoulder. ”Austin? What the fuck, man? Get off!”

Austin laughed loudly and bounced on Tony's back. ”Don't pretend you don't like it, Tone! I know you have the hots for me.”

”Gross, Aus! What're you even doing here? Shouldn't you be wrapped around some poor, defenseless girl somewhere?”

”I was. She kicked me out; had some friends coming over or somethin'. Wasn't really listening.” Austin climbed down and swung his legs over the side of Tony's mattress. ”Where do you keep your smokes?”

Tony grumbled and sat against the headboard, scratching his bare chest.

Austin picked up his pants, diggging through the pockets. ”Aha!” He said triumphantly. He opened Tony's window and sat on the windowsill, lighting a cigarette. ”So what's the deal with that kid you were with?”

”Jaime?” Tony yawned. ”Nothing, man. We got paired up for an assignment at school. We hung out and he said he like the Pumpkins, but he'd never been to a show before. Decided to take him.”

Austin quirked a brow. ”He looked pretty into you.”

Tony took the packet from Austin and lit his own cigarette. ”So?”

”So you don't wanna bone him?”

Tony scrunched his face up. ”It sounds so wrong coming from you. You're, like... an _adult._ ”

”Pfft! Being 21 doesn't make you an adult.”

”You're 22.”

Austin frowned and counted on his fingers. ”Damn. You're right.”

Tony looked at him in disbelief. ”How are you still alive?”

Austin had brought a box of cd's and cassettes, which they spent the day listening to. They split a pack of smokes between them and whenever Austin would bring up Jaime, Tony changed the subject.

Austin and Tony's moms used to be friends. The boys grew up around each other and had always been close, despite the age difference.

When Austin's mom passed, Tony's mom stepped up and took Austin in. Austin went through a time of hating his dad – so he lived with Tony for a few months and moved out on his 18th birthday.

Austin decided to stay the night. They found an extra blanket and Austin slept beside Tony; just like they had done since they were kids.

In the morning, Austin insisted on driving Tony to school.

Tony's mom packed Austin's car with home cooked food before she allowed them to leave. Austin had to physically drag her away from the car and tell her she really didn't have to. Of course it fell on deaf ears, as it had countless times before.

Tony's mom was more than a head shorter than Austin, but she still managed to make him feel like a little kid. She hugged and kissed him until he was blushing and had a smear of lipstick across his cheek.

While en route to the high school, Austin said, ”You should do something about that boy, you know,” through a lungful of smoke.

”My love life is none of your concern,” Tony said, eyes following the sidewalk as they drove.

Austin smirked. ”I didn't say anything about love.”

Tony glared and resisted the urge to punch him in the thigh. He didn't feel like being involved in a car crash right now.

”I'm just saying you should bone him. Get it out of your system or whatever.” When Tony didn't reply, Austin continued, ”I guess that's not really your style though. You've always been a hopeless romantic.”

-

Jaime rode the bus to school as always. He climbed off the bus while talking to Vic. A sound like thunder was heard in the distance and rapidly approaching. The boys turned their head toward the sound and a beat up car pulled up to the curb by the entrance, stereo screaming.

The car was barely stationary before the passenger side door was kicked open and someone looking an awful lot like Tony was pushed out onto the pavement. Sprawled out on his back, he was hit in the face by his backpack.

” _I have a medical condition!_ ” Was shrieked from the inside.

Tony was laughing his ass off and made no move to get up.

As the driver crawled over the console and out of the passenger door, Jaime realized that the driver was Austin. Austin straddled Tony and they started wrestling in a flurry of long limbs and flannel.

The students in the vicinity were drawn to the commotion. It wasn't a big school and no one recognized Austin, so the gossip was already running wild.

Jaime held on to Vic's arm and made a distressed sound. ” _Jesus,_ he's even scarrier in the daylight.”

Vic turned to Jaime, brows raised. ”Who is he?”

”A friend of Tony's. I met him at the show last night,” Jaime muttered into Vic's shoulder.

”Fuck you, Perry,” Austin panted, sitting astride Tony's hips.

”You wish,” Tony wheezed.

They panted for a long, loaded moment before Austin leaned down and kissed Tony wetly. Tony fought back the second her realized Austin's intentions and was growling against Austin's mouth.

Austin crawled off and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. ”See you arund, loser,” He laughed and clambered back inside the car, slamming the door behind him.

The car screeched loudly as he sped away and cranked up the screaming music.

”Fuck you, Carlile!” Tony yelled. He leaned on his elbows, still laying on the pavement.

As Jaime wasn't moving on his own, Vic gave him a gentle shove and Jaime nearly fell on his face. He glared over his shoulder and took the last few steps, offering his hand to Tony.

Tony smiled up at him and took the offered hand. He stumbled slightly and dusted off his jeans. He picked up his backpack and gave Jaime a once over. ”Nice shirt.”

Jaime smiled shyly, cheeks feeling hot. ”I-- yeah.”

Tony pulled at the fabric and winked playfully. ”Looks good on you.” He wrapped his arm around Jaime's shoulder and led them inside the school. It had become routine for them to spend the mornings in the restroom together.

Tony would climb up into the windowsill and Jaime would sit on the sinks, or write on the walls.

Jaime cleared his throat, ”So, you and Austin...” He trailed off.

Tony quirked a brow, holding back a smile. ”Yes?”

”Do you like him?” He asked quietly.

”I kinda have to. He's my best friend,” Tony shrugged.

”No, like... Do you _like_ _him_ , like him?”

Tony shifted a bit. ”Not in the way you're implying, no. Plus there's the whole him-being-straight thing.”

Jaime ducked his head. ”He was just … He kissed you and I just thought, maybe…”

”Yeah, he does that,” Tony wrinkled his nose. ”It's kinda gross, but that's Austin for you. He's touchy. He likes to spoon when he stays over too. You get used to it.”

Jaime looked up at Tony, hoping his jealousy wasn't obvious. The way Tony's lips wrapped around the cigarette was making Jaime a little hot under the collar. He bit his lip as he spaced out for a moment.

Jaime was jerked back to the present when Tony jumped down and nudged his arm.

”Bell's about to ring,” Tony said. His eyes moved to Jaime's lips for a second, before looking back up.

-

In the basement of the Fuentes' house, Jaime was sprawled out on a couch, looking at the ceiling. ”You think I should get my nose pierced?”

”Not if it's because you wanna impress Tony,” Vic said, sounding bored. His world history textbook was heavy in his lap.

”You pierced your nose to impress a girl,” Jaime said flatly.

Vic hid his nose in his hand and muttered, ”That's different.”

Jaime snorted. ”Yeah? How so?”

”It-it just is,” Vic shrugged.

Across the room, half asleep in a bean bag chair, Mike said, ”What kind you want?”

Jaime rolled over onto his side and faced Mike. ”The one that goes in the middle. The kind that bulls have.”

Mike considered him for a moment. ”I think it'd look good on you.”

”Your mom would rip it out of your face the second you came home,” Vic muttered.

”But I could get one of those open ones! Like, it looks like a ring, but it's not closed all the way. The one with the balls on the end? I could just shove it up my nose when I'm home.”

”...that is disgusting,” Vic wrinkled his nose.

Mike ignored his brother and started talking details with Jaime. Mike had a handful of piercings and knew the piercing places around town.

”What if I faint?” Jaime asked.

”You'll be sitting down. People faint all the time,” Mike waved him off. ”Wanna go now? We can make it if we take the car,” He said as he checked the time.

”Now?” Jaime squeaked.

-

”Okay. Deep breath.”

This was a bad idea.

”Mike, hold my fucking hand,” Jaime said through gritted teeth.

The piercer bit back a laugh and looked back at Mike. He motioned for him to step up to the chair.

Jaime pulled him down and nearly pulled Mike's shoulder out of its socket. Mike winced and smiled apologetically at the piercer. He had to wiggle a bit to make sure he was out of the piercer's way.

Jaime whimpered a bit, but the procedure was over in the blink of an eye and Jaime didn't faint or anything. He stood infront of the mirror and admired the little metal ring.

Mike threw an arm around his shoulders and said, ”He's gonna dig it,” and kissed Jaime's cheek.

Jaime smiled shyly. Now that he had it, he didn't care much for Tony's opinion on it. He was in love with it.

Mike laughed and hugged him. Leaving Vic at home was the right call. Mike didn't care that Jaime was making choices he wouldn't be doing otherwise. He was happy for Jaime – even if he didn't get the appeal of Tony. Seing Jaime being adventorous was elating.

Even if everything crashed and burned further down the line – Jaime's infatuation with Tony was good for him. Mike was sure of it.

-

At the dinner table that night, Jaime couldn't help but smile. He looked around the table at his parents and brother. None of them had any idea what he'd done today.

He'd been spontaneous and brave (and maybe a little bit dumb). He'd looked on with envy as Mike had showed up to school with yet another piercings. Jaime didn't think he'd ever be brave enough – but he was.

He'd made a rash decision and gone through with it. He got a _piercing_ to impress a _boy._ Jaime didn't recall ever being this proud of himself.

-

Jaime had tried to come up with a strategy; a plan to show Tony. But in a subtle way.

Nothing had come to mind.

At school before class, they hung out in the restroom as always. Jaime stepped up to the mirror and pulled the piercing down and into place. Tony looked at him curiously and gaped when he saw the jewellery.

Tony turned him around and pressed him against the sink. The porcelain dug into Jaime's butt. Tony cupped his cheeks and turned his face upward. ”Is that real?”

”I sure hope so,” Jaime blushed lightly. ”It hurt like Hell.”

Tony looked at him intently. ”W-when did you get it?”

”Yesterday,” Jaime smiled bashfully. Tony's hands felt big and warm on his face.

Tony licked his lip rings absently and withdrew his hands. His pants felt a bit tight, so he shook his head and cleared his throat. He climbed up into the windowsill, putting some space between them.

Jaime bit his lip and blushed under the harsh fluorescent lights. He'd hoped for a louder reaction. A reaction he could read better.

It was better than nothing though. Jaime was almost certain that Tony liked it.

-

Tony tried to play it cool at lunch; he honestly did, but the piercing changed everything. The light he had previously seen Jaime in had changed. He liked him. He'd liked him for a while, if he was being honest with himself.

There was somehow _more_ now. He wasn't quite sure what that _more_ consisted of – but there was more of it.

He kept stealing glances at Jaime's face. How Tony hadn't noticed Jaime's nose before was a mystery.

It was a good nose.

If you looked at it for too long, Jaime started looking older. More mature.

They didn't have much time to themselves before the brothers joined them. They didn't eat together everyday. Tony was honestly a bit confused as to why they sat _there_ of all places.

Tony slumped further down in his chair. Whatever this _thing_ was that he had with Jaime – it was not something he wanted to share.

Jaime and Vic were all too soon deep in conversation. Tony tried not to let his disappointment show. He dug his headphones out from the bottom of his bag and put them on. Since he began spending lunch with Jaime, he had stopped reading. The time it took him to read a book had gotten significantly longer, since he didn't read when they were together.

Jaime was a lot more entertaining than any book he'd ever read – but he still missed reading.

Mike eyed him as he pulled out his latest paperback, but didn't say anything. Tony straightened the corner of the page and picked up where he left off. He could feel Mike's eyes linger, but they weren't friends. It felt wrong to say anything.

-

After the most boring weekend of Jaime's life, Jaime was eager to go back to school. There was just one problem – Tony wasn't there.

Jaime looked everywhere, but there was no sign of Tony. He even asked Vic and Mike to keep a look out; but Tony never showed.

Jaime found himself feeling antsy without Tony. Vic tried to reason with him.

There are many reasons why people miss school. Dentist appointments, family emergencies, doctor's appointments. He could've simply overslept or gotten ill.

Jaime appreciated the sentiment, but it didn't make him feel better. Especially when Tony didn't show up on Tuesday either.

Even without Tony there, Jaime still spent his mornings in the restroom on the second floor. Spending it out in the fresh air with his friends just didn't feel right anymore.

On Wednesday Jaime brought his discman to school and spent the morning up on Tony's ledge, listening to _White_ _Pony._ He felt a draft prickle at his skin from where the window wasn't quite closed. On the tiles above his head, he found the lyrics to _Digital_ _Bath._ He traced the words as they came through his headphones.

Early on, Jaime had noticed that Tony had a special place in his heart for that album. The first time they listened to the record was in Tony's bedroom during the first week of therir project. As _Digital Bath_ started playing, Tony had smiled. Not the kind of smile to show your companion that you're content, but the kind of smile that comes from genuine happiness. A soft, private, barely there smile.

Jaime had thought it might just have been that day; that moment. It wasn't. In the time they'd known each other, Jaime had spent more time than he'd like to admit observing Tony. Jaime was fairly sure Tony noticed about half the time he did it. And that smile appeared every single time _Digital Bath_ came on.

Jaime played that album a lot. He kept it on top of his stereo instead of in the box with the rest of his tapes and cd's. Seeing that smile tug at Tony's lips was the best feeling. He'd thought about putting the song on repeat and just watch Tony for hours.

On the bus home at the end of the day, Vic raised a bewildered brow when Jaime didn't get up at their stop. Mike pulled his brother along by the elbow and sent a soft smile in Jaime's direction.

A couple of stops later, Jaime got out of his seat and smiled at the bus driver as he got off. He hummed to himself as he walked the rest of the way to Tony's house.

He stepped up on the porch and knocked on the door. The car wasn't in the drive way, but he knocked a second time anyway. After the third knock, he heard muffled yelling from inside the house.

The doorhandle rattled and the door was opened the tiniest bit. ” _What?_ ”

Jaime squinted, eyes not quite adjusting from the bright sunshine outisde to the dark of the house. ”Tony?”

”That would be me, yes,” He replied hoarsely and sniffled.

”I- you weren't at school,” Jaime said quietly. ”Are you alright?”

Tony made a face and sneezed, spraying snot everywhere. He quickly cupped a hand under his nose and left the door open, going on a hunt for a tissue.

Jaime hestitated on the threshold. He forced himself to go inside and closed the door behind them.

He found Tony hunched over the sink, wiping snot off of his face. Tony was only wearing boxers and shivered as water splattered against the bottom of the sink and hit his stomach.

”You should be in bed.”

”I was, but you wouldn't stop fucking knocking,” Tony grumbled.

Jaime put a hand on his lower back and led Tony back upstairs. Jaime tugged Tony into bed and sat on the bed beside him.

”Why are you here?” Tony mumbled into the mattress. He had his face squished into the sheets, his eyes firmly shut.

”I was worried,” Jaime said quietly.

”Why?”

”I miss my badass. Mike just doesn't cut it anymore.”

Tony smiled a little. ”Mike's a wuss.”

Jaime chuckled and pushed some hair off of Tony's sweaty forehead.

”Could you put some music on?”

”You up for that?” Jaime smiled softly.

”I've got a _Frames_ album somewhere,” Tony muttered miserably.

Jaime tugged the sheet up around Tony's trembling shoulders and got up from the bed. He sat on the floor and looked through Tony's very extensive collection of music. Jaime didn't know most of them and the ones he did know where not something he expected to find. _Madonna? Really?_

Jaime found the album and put it on, keeping the volume low. ”When's your mom coming home?”

”Later. Don't know.”

Tony slept on and off. It felt weird being in Tony's home while he was unconcious. Jaime still stayed. He waited until Tony's mom got home before he left.

-

”You coming over today?” Vic asked at lunch.

Jaime shook his head and swallowed his mouthful of pb and j. ”No. I'm gonna go see Tony. See how he's feelin'.”

Mike wiggled his eyebrows, which earned him a kick to the shin. ”Ow! I was just saying!” He frowned. ”He's too sick to run away. Now's your chance.”

Jaime threw the rest of his sandwich at him. ”You're a horrible friend.”

-

After his last visit, Tony's mom had given Jaime their spare key, so Tony didn't have to get out of bed to let him in.

Jaime took off his shoes and put them by the front door along with his jacket. He walked up the stairs and smiled as one of the steps creaked familiarly under his foot. He opened the door to Tony's room carefully, in case he was sleeping.

”Hi-Meeeee!” Tony giggled.

Jaime's brows rose in surprise. Tony usually said Hi-May. He spotted a bottle of cough syrup on his nightstand and shook his head in amusement. ”Hey, Tone,” He smiled. ”How're you doing?”

”Better,” He smiled.

”That's good.” Jaime sat on the edge of the mattress, like the day before. ”Did you take some medicine?”

Tony wrinkled his nose. ”Mhm. It tasted funny.”

Jaime closed his eyes for a second and tried to will away the bundle of nerves in his tummy. Tony was drunk on cough syrup.

Looking after Tony turned out to be quite uneventful. He slept a lot.

Jaime was looking through a stack of cd's when Tony decided he was hot and kicked off his blankets. They fell in a heap on the floor and Tony writhed around.

Jaime kept an eye on him until he settled; then he turned back around to the cd's. He picked one he didn't know and popped it into the stereo. The floor wasn't very comfortable and he moved to the bed instead. He tried not to look and kept himself occupied with a loose thread on his jeans. Tony was sick and under the influence; he didn't know what he was doing. Looking at him would be a bit like taking advantage of the situation. Taking advantage of Tony.

All the moving had rucked up the legs of Tony's boxers and he was already wearing them quite low. The plaid fabric hugged his hips and thighs, and showed off his hips nicely.

While Jaime was looking at the fuzzy, little trail of hair under his navel, Tony poked Jaime's side and grabbed his shirt, pulling on it.

Jaime looked up in surprise, not realizing he was awake. ”What're you doing?”

”Lie with me,” Tony muttered tiredly and rubbed his eye.

Jaime let himself be pulled down and Tony wrapped his legs around him. He tugged his face into Jaime's chest and squeezed him around the middle.

It didn't take long for Tony to get cold and shiver. It was tricky, but Jaime got a hold of the blankets and pulled them up and over them. Tony muttered something into his chest, but Jaime couldn't tell what it was.

Tony caught him off guard and Jaime made an undignified sound as Tony grabbed his butt. He was sure Tony was back asleep. However, the firm grip on his denim clad backside said otherwise.

”You're so cuddly,” Tony mumbled into Jaime's chest.

Jaime was lying rigid in Tony's arms. He had no idea what to do. ”O-okay?”

Tony was uncoordinated and clumsy. Jaime couldn't for the life of him figure out what he was trying to accomplish. Tony hummed happily when he found the hem of Jaime's shirt and jammed his hands up the front. His calloused fingers felt around on Jaime's skin and settled and his soft hips.

Jaime made a slightly panicked screechy sound and tried to pry Tony off of him. ”Tone, you're high. Stop.”

”But you're so warm,” He muttered and nuzzled his face into Jaime's chest.

”You don't know what you're doing.” Jaime flailed a little too violently and fell over the side of the mattress. He hit the floor with an _umph._

Tony had a delayed reaction and peeked over the side of the bed, looking down at him, adorably confused. ”What're you doing?”

” _Fuck_ _me_ ,” Jaime breathed and closed his eyes tightly.

Convincing Tony to stay still, was hard. Jaime had to go get an extra blanket, so Tony wouldn't get cold. He repeatedly told Tony to stay in bed while he went looking for the linen closet.

Jaime wrapped the blanket around Tony, who kept giggling up at him. He suddenly went limp and started snoring.

”Oh, thank God,” Jaime sighed. The medicine really must've kicked in. He tugged the blanket a little tighter around the sleeping boy and kissed his forehead.

Jaime contemplated staying, but he had been neglecting his homework all week. With one last longing look, Jaime picked up his stuff and went home.

-

He almost forgot to hide his nose ring; luckily he spotted it in his reflection on the window of his front door. He held the keys to the door in one hand and slipped the ring up his nostrils with the other.

His parents knew where he'd been going after school, so he didn't have to explain where he'd been. Jaime headed up to his room and pulled out his homework. Homework was endlessly boring compared to sharing a bed with a sleep warm, plaint Tony.

Even congested and with flushed skin, Tony looked inviting. His bottom lip was all wet and swollen from Tony licking it all the time. His chest was surprisingly toned and it tapered down to his potruding hipbones. Not to mention his hair. Tony's hair was glorious. Being confined to his bed had turned his dark and blonde hair into the most majestic case of sex hair Jaime had ever seen.

Jaime might have locked his bedroom door. He might have crawled into bed, headphones securely covering his ears, _Deftones_ playing loudly. He might have curled his hand around his dick, touched himself to the thought of Tony's expressive eyes, his plump, spit slick lips. He might have climaxed with Tony's name on his lips.

He might have.

-

The following morning was a sleepy one. Jaime woke up before his alarm and couldn't fall back asleep. He leaned heavily on Mike at the bus stop and yawned until his eyes watered.

For a moment, he thought he was asleep when he saw Tony; but he really was there. Mike bumped into his back because he stopped abruptly in the middle of the bus.

Tony looked a little worse for wear, but a lot better than before. Jaime smiled tiredly and patted Tony's bedhead down. He slid into the seat beside Tony, ”Didn't think you'd be back so soon.”

Tony coughed into his sleeve and shook his head. ”Had to get out, man. I was going stir crazy. I think I was getting that-that thing that happens to people who're snowed in.” He frowned and sniffled. ”Cabin fever! I was getting cabin fever.”

Jaime startled at the exclamation. ”Tony. You were home for four days.”

”So?”

Jaime rolled his eyes. ”Pretty sure it takes longer to get cabin fever.”

”Are you a medical professional? No? Then be quiet.”

Jaime laughed and sunk into the seat, letting their shoulders touch.

When they got off the bus at school, Jaime said bye to the brothers and went with Tony to the second floor. Tony was about to step up on the sink and crawl into the windowsill, but his legs shook a tad too much for him to follow through. He leaned against the wall instead and pointedly didn't look at Jaime.

There was tension in the air. The tension that comes from unspoken words. Jaime sat on one of the sinks and swung his legs back and forth, eyes on his shoes. He'd stepped in a puddle not too long ago, the toe was still covered in dry mud. He looked up at the sound of deep breathing.

Tony sneezed and groaned.

”You okay?” Jaime chuckled.

”Peachy,” Tony said and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He pushed away from the wall and walked to the stalls. He leaned against one of the stall dividers and looked at Jaime. ”'M sorry about … Y'know, yesterday.”

Jaime blinked.

”I probably made you majorly uncomfortable,” He winced.

Jaime licked his lips slowly, thinking back to last night; what he did in the privacy of his room. ”No.”

”You sure?” Tony asked, a cautious hint of hope in his voice.

”Mhm,” Jaime nodded, cheeks warm. ”No one's ever touched my butt before.”

Tony blushed and looked away.

”Was nice to try it. I think I might be into that,” Jaime giggled shyly.

”Yeah?”

Jaime nodded happily. Their cheeks were matching. Tony's might be from the last strands of his cold, but Jaime liked to think otherwise.

Tony cleared his throat and stepped closer. ”Have you ever … kissed anyone?”

”I played spin the bottle once?”

”I meant a real kiss.”

”Oh,” Jaime looked at his lap. ”Uhh, no. No one's ever kissed me voluntarily.”

Tony took a few more steps and Jaime parted his knees, making room for him. Tony puts his hands on Jaime's knees and slowly moved them upwards to rest on his thighs.

The only thing Jaime could hear was the sound of their breathing and his blood rushing in his ears. He was fairly sure that his heart was beating loud enough for Tony to hear it.

Tony leaned his forehead against Jaime's and their noses touched. They were too close to tell for sure, but Jaime thought Tony was looking at him through his lashes.

You couldn't tell who leaned in first, but their lips touched briefly. It was barely a peck. Tony made the second move and pressed their lips together. Jaime made a small sound and was all too aware of his body. He didn't know what to do with his hands, let alone his lips. His fingers grasped at the air till they found purchase and curled his fingers around Tony's shirt tails.

Jaime lost his sense of time, but he was sure Tony pulled away way too soon. He didn't realize how out of breath he was. Tony panted too, cheeks more red than before.

”Now you have.”

”What?” Jaime furrowed his brows.

”Had a kiss,” Tony said softly.

Jaime was about to reply, but the bell rang and startled him so badly he almost fell into the sink. He made a series of embarrassing sounds until Tony pulled him to his feet.

”I'll see you at lunch,” Tony said and picked up his bag. He'd left the restroom before Jaime knew what happened.

-

”Viiiic!”

Most of the students scattered in the hallway turned toward the screaming as Jaime flew by. Jaime had been looking for a moment to share the news with either of the brothers, but he hadn't been able to see any of them between classes.

Vic stopped a few feet from the cafeteria and waited for Jaime. His brows raised to his hair line as Jaime came closer, face flushed from running.

”He kissed me!” Jaime panted. ”He fucking kissed me! What do I do?”

Vic blinked. ”What? _Tony_ kissed you?”

”Yes! What do I do?” He whimpered.

Vic put a comforting hand on Jaime's arm, ”Did you kiss him? Or was it him?”

Jaime opened and closed his mouth, brows furrowed. ”He did. Why? Does that mean anything?”

”Did he say anything afterwards?” Vic went on.

”See you at lunch.”

Vic quirked the side of his mouth. ”Looks like he already told you what to do.” He rubbed Jaime's arm reassuringly and went through the doors to the cafeteria. When Jaime didn't follow him, Vic went back to get him and pulled him by the sleeve.

He depositied Jaime in his usual seat across from Tony. ”Hey, Tone,” He said and went to his own table where Mike was waiting for him.

Tony stopped chewing. ”Hey, Himes. You okay? You look a little flustered.”

”I'm good,” Jaime said, voice cracking.

Tony raised a brow. Jaime leaned across the table, head down. ”You kissed me,” He whispered.

”I know,” Tony whispered back.

”…Why?”

”Because I wanted to?”

Jaime looked at him with wide, unblinking eyes.

”If you don't want me to, I won't do it again.”

”You should definitely do it again,” Jaime nodded. ”And again after that. And then again after _that._ ”

Tony grinned.

-

Tony laced his fingers with Jaime's on the bus home. Jaime hadn't been able to stop smiling. His cheeks were starting to hurt. He leaned his head on Tony's shoulder.

”You coming to my place?”

”I can't. Promised my mom I'd be home today,” Jaime sighed.

”I could go with you?” Tony asked.

Jaime smiled and nuzzled his cheek against Tony's shoulder.

When they walked through the door of Jaime's house, Jaime's mom was making a snack for Jaime's brother. They said hello to her and waved before heading upstairs.

Jaime locked the door behind them and smiled shyly, as he leaned back against it. Tony pulled off his flannel and let it flutter to the floor as he sprawled out on Jaime's bed. He put his hands behind his head, exposing the hole under the arm of his t-shirt.

Jaime gingerly sat beside Tony, pulling at a loose string on the knee of his jeans.

Tony reached out to him and rubbed his back soothingly, while still lying down. ”We don't have to do anything, you know,” He said softly.

Jaime bit his lip. ”I do,” He said quietly, glancing at Tony. ”Want to, I mean.”

Tony sat up and looped an arm around his shoulder. He pulled Jaime against him and kissed his cheek. ”No rush.”

Jaime leaned into it, wrapping his own arms around Tony's middle and nuzzled his face into the crook of Tony's neck. Despite his nervous nature, Jaime was very affectionate and his little heart raced at the feeling of Tony's warm skin against his face.

Tony carded his fingers through Jaime's hair, humming softly.

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped around each other. Jaime turned his head every once in a while to press his lips to Tony's skin.

Tony chuckled softly and kissed Jaime's curls. He trailed his lips down the side of Jaime's face and nuzzled his nose into his cheek.

Jaime giggled and pulled back to look at Tony's face. ”What're you doing?”

”Kissin'you,” He smiled softly.

Jaime blushed and leaned into Tony's lips, letting him kiss him as much as he wanted to. At lasthe tilted his head, letting Tony capture his lips. Tony made a soft, surprised sound, but kept kissing. He was gentle and sweet, never pushing for more.

Jaime turned in his arms until he was all the way on top of Tony. He felt awkward and stiff in that position, but he didn't want the kisses to stop. Tony felt the tremors in Jaime's arms on either side of his head. He wrapped his arms around Jaime and rolled them over, coming out on top. Jaime's legs parted on their own, making room for Tony.

Jaime sucked on his swollen lip, eyes big and excited.

”Hi,” Tony laughed breathily.

”Hi,” Jaime giggled. His hands trembled a bit when he cupped Tony's face and pulled him down.

Tony couldn't help but smile against Jaime's lips. He felt the tip of Jaime's tongue touch his lip and parted his own, encouraging Jaime to come inside. Tony could feel how nervous Jaime was; how inexperienced he was.

His inexperience didn't stop him from taking what was offered and Jaime deepened the kiss. The sounds their slick lips made in the quiet room made Jaime's cheeks heat up. He made a small sound and Tony echoed it.

Jaime got lost in the kiss, hands sliding to the back of Tony's head, fingers gripping his hair tightly. Tony moaned and rolled his hips downward.

He pulled back in an instant, eyes wide. ”I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't mean to do that.”

Jaime tentatively wrapped his legs around Tony's hips, panting softly. ”I don't mind,” He whispered.

Tony frowned. ”You sure?”

Jaime bit his lip and nodded. ”Want you to,” He said and pulled him closer.

Tony looked at his face for a moment before letting Jaime pull him back in. He experimentally rolled his hips, barely any force behind it.

”God, that feels good,” Jaime groaned, eyes closed tightly.

Grinning, Tony did it again, eliciting a low moan from Jaime. Jaime tilted his head back and let the feeling a Tony all around him wash over him. He knew he was getting hard, Tony no doubt knew as well, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Tony nuzzled into the crook of his neck, kissing him softly. ”Your mom's home, y'know,” He muttered.

”I know,” Jaime gasped. ”Don't think we'd be wearing clothes if she wasn't.”

Tony whined, ”Don't say that! Not when we can't do anything.”

Jaime laughed and nudged Tony away. Tony sat back on his haunches and pouted adorably. He leaned his head on Jaime's knee, dragging his fingers down the inseam of Jaime's jeans. ”We probably shouldn't do that while your family's here,” Tony said.

-

Jaime had been slacking off way too much and his mom had found out, so he was confined to his room all weekend.

Tony had stopped by with a box of music on Saturday morning, before he headed into the city. They shared a quick, sweet kiss on the front porch before Jaime went back inside.

Jaime had snuck into the living room and used the phone around midnight. He had to tell Vic what had been going on the last two days and he knew Vic would be in the basement with Mike – they had their own phone down there.

Jaime had sat in the dark and gushed about how amazing Tony was. Vic laughed a lot, but Jaime knew he meant well.

Vic had had his fair share of relationships and gave advice when Jaime asked for it. Jaime felt a little bad for neglecting his friendship with Vic, but Vic told him not to sweat it. It was about time he expanded his social circle.

Jaime was so excited to see Tony that he barely slept. He was equal parts tired and excited. He pushed himself to the front of the line waiting for the bus and made sure he was the first to get on.

He planted a kiss on the corner of Tony's mouth and wiggled under his arm. Tony put his arm around Jaime's shoulder and kissed the top of his head.

”Mom told me I could go to your house today,” He smiled.

”Awesome,” Tony said. He tilted Jaime's face up and pulled the septum ring down, making sure it wasn't crooked. He kissed the tip of his nose for good measure.

Jaime wasn't as touchy at school. He didn't want people to look at him. He looked around the halls, looking at all the couples hanging around infront of their lockers, kissing and hugging one another.

He wanted to do that, but he couldn't get himself to do it. Not infront of all these people. Had it been someone else, it might've been easier, but people knew who Tony was. What would they think if they saw Tony kissing _him._ Him of all people.

There was a senior with a face full of metal. There had been rumours about her and Tony the previous year; which made sense. They fit together. Kind of like a football player and a cheerleader. Some people just seemed the perfect fit, without you having to know anything about them.

Why was Tony even interested in him? He was a dork at best. Wasn't all that good looking. He wasn't exactly skinny either.

Jaime pulled his sweater up around his ears and headed to class.

-

The two walked home today. They didn't have a reason to, Jaime just felt like walking. When the school was out of sight, Jaime took Tony's hand in his, lacing their fingers.

It hadn't escaped Tony the way Jaime pulled away. The way he kept that extra little space between them when they weren't alone.

Tony was unapologetic in everything he did, but he knew not everyone felt that way. He rubbed Jaime's hand softly with his thumb.

The walk to Tony's house was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Tony sang under his breath. He did that sometimes without knowing it. He didn't realize it before Jaime started to sing with him.

They looked at each other and couldn't help the laughter bursting from their lips. Tony raised his voice, singing as loud as he could through the giggles still making their way out.

Jaime joined him, singing as dramatically as he could, dancing infront of Tony, making the boy twirl him around.

When they made it to Tony's front porch, they were both out of breath and leaned heavily against each other. Tony fumbled a bit with the keys, as Jaime was giggling in his ear.

They climbed the stairs hand in hand and dumped their stuff on the bedroom floor.

Tony pulled Jaime close, kissing him sweetly. Jaime happily kissed him back, his hands on Tony's chest.

Tony snuck his hands up the back of Jaime's shirt.

When he moved his hands to the front, Jaime pulled away.

”Jaime?”

”I-I don't like... don't touch my stomach,” Jaime mumbled.

”Why? You have a stomach ache?” Tony asked puzzled.

”No. I'm fat and I don't want you to touch it,” Jaime blushed.

”Fat?” Tony gaped. ”Where do you keep that fat? 'Cause it's sure as Hell not on your body.”

Jaime crossed his arms over his stomach and looked at his feet.

”Look at me. _Jaime_ ,” Tony said, but he refused to raise his gaze. Tony put his hands on Jaime's soft hips and tugged his face into the crook of Jaime's neck. ”I love your little tummy,” He said and nibbled at the skin.

Tony moved Jaime's hands out of the way and pressed his palms to Jaime's itty bitty tummy. ”You're beautiful, Jaime. Don't ever doubt that,” He whispered.

Jaime sniffled. ”You're just saying that.”

”I wouldn't lie to you.” Tony pulled on his belt loops and kissed him gently.

Jaime slowly responded to Tony's affections, looping his arms around Tony's neck. They shared little kisses, barely more than lips touching.

Jaime sniffled again and rested his head against Tony's. ”I don't deserve you.”

Tony knew words wouldn't make Jaime change his mind. Instead he embraced the boy he held so dear, holding on tightly.

”Wanna go on a date?”

”What?” Jaime wiped his eyes.

”I would like to take you on a date. Nothing fancy. Dinner, maybe? Friday?”

Jaime giggled wetly. ”Okay.”

-

Tony kept the affection to a minimum at school. He snuck little touches whenever he could, though. Lingering touches to Jaime's arms, back, hands. He squeezed his leg under the table at lunch and he kept whispering everything, just so he could press his lips to Jaime's ear.

Jaime was a blushing mess all week. He loved the attention and leaned on Tony as much as he thought he could get away with.

Every afternoon they spent together. Jaime liked Tony's house better. They could touch more there. At his house, they had to keep it down – not that it stopped them from kissing every few minutes. Jaime was starting to get the hang of the whole tongue-kissing-thing. He even initiated them sometimes.

On Friday they split up after school. Jaime wanted them to get ready seperately.

He'd never been on a date before and was freaking out a little bit. Tony was still banned from the car, so Jaime was gonna pick him up in his mom's car.

After trying on almost everything in his closet, he settled on a plaid button up and plain jeans (but with no holes).

Tony was waiting for him by the curb infront of his house when Jaime pulled in. Tony greeted him with a chaste kiss. He wasn't dressed all that differently then he usually was, but his jeans were less holey than usual.

”So, where are we going?” Jaime asked.

”My favorite restaurant. It's this little Mexican place. You're gonna love it.”

-

If Tony hadn't told him where the restaurant was, Jaime would never have noticed it. It was a tiny hole in the wall, family owned establishment, with candles on every table.

Tony led him to a seat by the window and pulled out the chair for him. Jaime blushed like crazy and told him to stop being an idiot. Tony just smiled and kissed his cheek. ”I don't do this for just anyone.”

”You don't?” Jaime asked.

”No. Only the really special ones,” Tony winked.

Jaime hid his burning face in his hands. ”You are the worst.”

”I know.”

During dinner, Jaime found out that Tony was a big fan of footsie. He caught Jaime off guard at first, making him knock his knee against the underside of the table. Tony chuckled and apoligized, but did the same thing seconds later.

In the most cliché maner, they shared a dessert. Tony insisted on feeding Jaime the first bite. The fork hovered infront of Jaime's lips.

”You are not serious right now.”

”Of course I am. This is a date. This is what you do on a date, now open up before I drop it,” Tony said.

Jaime huffed, but caved none the less. He opened up and moved toward the fork.

”See, that wasn't so bad, was it?” Tony beamed.

”I can't believe I used to be afraid of you,” Jaime said offhandedly, after swallowing the dessert.

Tony's face fell a little.

”I didn't mean it like that! Like, I was... what's the word? Intimidated? Like, I thought you were really badass – I still do – and you were just this-this; completely out of my realm and just unreachable, you know? I didn't mean it in a bad way,” Jaime hurried through an explanation, desperate to get that look off of Tony's beautiful face. Jaime took Tony's hand in his and looked at him apoligetically.

Tony sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. ”I'm sorry if I ever scared you. I'm not a bad guy, I'm just... I'm not.”

”I know, I know.”

”If... If I ever do something that scares you, promise me you'll tell me. Promise me.”

Jaime was a little taken aback by Tony's reaction. ”I promise,” He said quietly.

Tony pulled Jaime closer across the table and kissed him softly. He moved his hand into Jaime's hair and craddled his face. ”You're not scared anymore, are you?”

” _No._ ”

Cuddling was a little hard with a table between them. ”Spend the night with me?”

Jaime looked up in surprise. ”Tonight?”

”Yeah. I'm not ready to say goodbye yet.”

-

Jaime's mom agreed to let him stay the night. She was just happy Jaime had a new friend. She was starting to get a little worried that the Fuentes boys were going to be all he ever had.

She hadn't seen Tony much, but he seemed like a decent guy to her – even if he looked a little funny. And he made Jaime happy, which was all that really mattered.

Jaime figured he was going to sleep on the floor, or maybe they had guest bedroom he hadn't seen yet, but Tony got an extra blanket out and splayed it over his bed. ”You want a t-shirt to sleep in?”

”Where am I sleeping?”

”With me.”

”Oh.”

”Unless you don't want to?”

”No, no, I'd love to, I just figured I'd sleep on the floor or something.”

Tony smiled. ”You and your cute little butt are sleeping with me,” He winked. ”About that shirt?”

”If you don't mind.”

Tony found a clean shirt and tossed it to him. ”So, you want the wall or the nightstand?”

-

The morning was warm and lazy.

They had started out with seperate blankets, but during the night Tony had wormed his way under Jaime's blanket and kicked his own to the floor.

They had breakfast with Tony's mom and little sister. Becca was excited to see Jaime again. Tony was too sleepy to keep a conversation going, so Becca saw the opportunity and took it. Her mom had taken her to the mall the other day to buy a new pencil case and they had met a dog there. It was the fluffiest thing Becca had ever seen and she really, really wanted one. Mom had promised she could have one when she got older.

Tony observed them, as Becca rambled. Jaime was so patient and animated while talking to her. Tony smiled to himself.

His mom rubbed his shoulder and smiled, brushing the blonde bangs out of his face. Tony could tell she knew. She always did.

Upon Tony's request, they retreated to his room and crawled back into bed. Jaime was lying in Tony's arms, as Tony ran his hand through Jaime's curls.

”Himes?”

”Mm?”

”Do you wanna, like, make it official?” Tony asked.

”Make what official?” Jaime got up on his elbows, so he could see him.

”Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Jaime's face split in a grin. ”Yes!” He said and kissed his _boyfriend._ ”Of course I do.”

Tony tipped them over and hovered above Jaime. ”I've been meaning to ask you something.”

”You just did.”

”You know what I mean,” Tony pinched him. ”I've been invited to a party in the city. You wanna come?”

”In the city?”

”Yeah. It's Austin and some friends. You know Austin. We can crash at his place afterwards.”

”If I can get my mom to agree-”

Tony cut him off with a kiss. ”Perfect.”

-

”Want a beer?” Tony asked.

”I don't really like beer,” Jaime replied.

”Oh. Want me to mix you something? I bet I could find some juice.”

”I would like that,” Jaime smiled.

Tony tugged him along into the kitchen. He dug through the fridge and found some orange juice and some vodka in the freezer. He mixed a little bit of both and handed it to Jaime. Tony stuck to his beer and they went back to the living room.

Tony had to pee, so Jaime was left alone for a bit.

A gorgeous guy came up to Jaime, smiling brightly. ”Hey,” He said.

”Hi,” Jaime said politely.

”I don't think I've seen you before. I would've remembered such a cute face,” The guy winked.

”I-I haven't been here before,” Jaime said and sipped his drink. He looked at the guy over the rim of his cup. He looked sweet enough.

Tony sauntered up to the guy and clapped him on the shoulder. ”Sorry, Young Fuego, this one's spoken for,” He said and pulled Jaime close, grabbing his ass.

”Nice catch,” He said.

”I think so too,” Tony said and kissed the corner of Jaime's mouth. ”Himes, this is Tino. Tino, Jaime.”

Tino shook his hand and smiled. Jaime liked this guy. Tony and Tino caught up for a few moments, Tony's arm securely around Jaime's waist.

Jaime tried to enjoy himself, he really did, but parties just wasn't his thing. The ever attentive Tony noticed and asked if he wanted to leave. Jaime apoligized and insisted that they stay, but Tony wouldn't have it. They found Austin and got the keys to his apartment.

Austin's place was about a block away. The walk home wasn't long and the chilly night air, made Jaime feel better. Jaime felt a little boring. He just made his amazing boyfriend leave a party with all of his cool city friends at 11 PM on a Saturday.

”We could've stayed,” Jaime said as they took off their jackets and shoes.

”Nah. You weren't having fun,” Tony said.

”But _you_ were.”

”I can do that whenever I want. It's not everyday I get to spend the night with my gorgeous boyfriend,” Tony kissed him sweetly.

”Shut up,” Jaime blushed.

”Also,” Tony kissed him again. ”We've got the place to ourselves. Think of all the things we can do. Just you. And me.” He trailed his hands down Jaime's back, down to his bum. He pulled their hips together and bit Jaime's lips playfully.

Jaime buried his hands in Tony's hair, pulling the strands.

Tony shuffled them backwards, urging Jaime to sit on the couch. Jaime looked up at his boyfriend, pupils blown.

Tony sat astride Jaime's hips. The belt buckle clinked as Tony undid it, opening Jaime's jeans. ”Tell me if you want me to stop,” Tony whispered into the shell of Jaime's ear.

Jaime dug his nails into Tony's thighs. ”Okay.”

Tony shuffled down and dropped to his knees. He pulled Jaime's jeans down his legs, followed by his boxers.

Jaime threw his head back, running a hand through his hair. He gasped as he felt Tony's lips on his inner thigh. He felt his dick twitch as Tony sucked a bruise into the skin. ”Tony. Oh my God.”

Tony pulled Jaime forward and spread his legs wider. He licked a stripe up the length of Jaime's dick. ”You can pull my hair if you want,” He said.

Jaime did just that, pulling harder than he meant to. As Tony swallowed him down, Jaime gasped, thighs quivering.

”I can't believe this is actually happening,” Jaime muttered.

Tony hummed in reply, taking Jaime deeper. Jaime looked as his length disappeared down Tony's throat. Jaime pushed the blonde hair out of the way, to get a better view.

How Tony went from being the scary, hot guy he fantasized about, to being his boyfriend was still bit of a mystery to him.

Tony swirled his tongue and Jaime moaned deep in his chest. ” _Fuck_ , _Tony._ ”

Moaning happily, Tony opened his own jeans, putting his hand inside. He stroked himself to the sounds streaming from Jaime's mouth.

”This-this is gonna end embarrassingly soon,” Jaime stuttered.

Tony squeezed Jaime's thigh soothingly, trying to tell him it was okay, without stopping what he was doing. He made an obscene slurping sound just to see the blush bloom across Jaime's dimpled cheeks.

”Oh my God, I can't believe my dick is in your mouth right now,” Jaime rambled.

Tony had to pull away at that. He laughed and rested his forehead on Jaime's thigh. ”You are something else, you know that?”

Jaime laughed too. He ducked, capturing Tony's lips in a lingering kiss. He made an attempt to deepen the kiss, but Tony pushed him away.

”Sit back, I'm not done yet.”

Jaime whined, but did as Tony said.

Tony put Jaime back in his mouth and bobbed his head in time with the hand on his dick. Neither one of them had been drinking all that much, but Tony was still feeling bubbly and warm. Tony loved the feeling of Jaime, heavy on his tongue and couldn't help but moan happily.

”T-Tone. I'm almost there, you gotta pull off,” Jaime panted, pushing Tony's shoulders.

If it wasn't for his mouth being full, Tony would've smirked. He took Jaime as deep as he could and swallowed around him.

Jaime spluttered something incomprehensible and closed his eyes tightly. Tony swallowed everything Jaime had to give him.

Jaime was still shaking when Tony pulled off. He pressed his face into the crook of Jaime's hip. He needed a little more to get off. Jaime was panting above him, completely out of it.

Jaime's hand was resting heavily on the back of Tony's neck, unconciously holding him down. Tony bit the skin infront of him, as he spilled over his fingers, no doubt dripping onto the carpet under his knees.

Lifting his heavy body, Tony looked up at Jaime, who was smiling like a goof.

”I can't believe we just did that,” Jaime said breathlessly.

”Believe it, baby, 'cause we're gonna do it again – but not right now. Me knees are killing me,” Tony chuckled.

Jaime pulled his pants back up and helped Tony to his feet. Since they made it home first, Tony called dibs on the bed. Austin and his lanky ass would have to settle for the couch.

Dressed down to their boxers, Jaime snuggled up to Tony's chest and sighed happily.

-

In the morning, Jaime woke up to the feeling of lips against the back of his neck. He turned his head, catching a kiss on his cheek. ”'Morning.”

”'Morning, sleepyhead,” Tony smiled softly.

Jaime turned in his arms and pressed his face against Tony's throat. Tony's rough hands felt amazing against his skin. The soft scruff on Tony's cheeks scratched against his temple. Jaime couldn't grow facial hair, but Tony could. Not a full on beard, the hair was too sparse for that; but he could grow this really nice scruff that felt amazing against Jaime's cheeks when they kissed.

He ran the pads of his fingers over the coarse hair. Tony smiled down at him and kissed his forehead.

Jaime smiled sleepily.

Tony pulled the blankets off of them and spread Jaime's legs. He pushed the leg of Jaime's boxers up, exposing the bruise he left there last night. ”Look how pretty it turned out,” Tony smiled.

Jaime leaned on his elbows. ”I didn't even notice you doing that.”

Tony crawled up between his legs and caged Jaime in with his arms. ”I want to mark every little part of you. Everytime you see them, you'll think of me,” Tony said lowly. ”You'll remember how I make you feel.”

Tony was just about to connect their lips, when the bedroom door burst open. ”Please, tell me you're not fucking,” Austin said, hands firmly covering his eyes.

Tony groaned and bumped his head against Jaime's shoulder. ”No, we're not fucking,” He groaned.

”Good, 'cause I made breakfast,” Austin grinned.

”You can't cook,” Tony stated.

” _Fine._ I bought breakfast on the way home. Come on, before it gets cold.”

Jaime kissed Tony softly. ”We'll do this later, yeah?”

 


End file.
